Oil burner



July 11, 1939. A R HOEFT 2,166,065

OIL BURNER Filed March 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. R. HOEFT July l1, 1939.

OIL BURNER Filed March 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1939 UNTED STATES PATENT QEFEQE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in oil burners and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is more particularly concerned with that type of burner including a burner plate supporting an annular oil trough in which is located a vaporizing ring and above which is a flame spreader or baflie, the burner plate and oil trough being so formed as to provide inner and cuter air passages to support combustion.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved structure for the oil trough vaporizing ring, whereby the ring is supported in position by parts engaging upon the top edges of the oil trough walls, so that when the ring is turned, the carbon is scraped from said top edges by said parts to be carried away by the natural draft of the burner.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a burner of this kind a novel mounting for the arne spreader independent of the oil trough and not supported by the top of the oil trough and whereby the spreader is more easily, accurately and positively centered in its application and remains centered to insure a steady, even burning ame.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved burner structure of this kind wherein the flame spreader and vaporizing ring are so correlated that the spreader may be actuated to turn the vaporizing ring to remove carbon from the top edges of both the inner and outer Walls of the oil trough.

Still a further object of the invention is to` provide a novel structure in a burner of this kind whereby the flame spreader may be turned by an actuating member operable from outside the heater drum or casing and to further provide a novel lid arrangement at the top of the drum or casing permitting removal of the flame spreader through the lid arrangement by means of said actuating member whereby an easy access to the other parts of the burner is possible for inspection and the like.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel structure in a burner of this kind whereby the air supply may be readily adjusted to meet atmospheric changes, and thereby eliminate the objectionable smoking and sooting up due to such atmospheric changes.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provide in a burner of this kind a drip pan with air inlet openings in its side Wall, which may be controlled in area and to provide means which prevents the entrance of undesired drafts and attending flickering of the flames, while the burner is in operation.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as Well as others, together with the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as I proceed with my specication.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an oil burner embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical detail sectional view on an enlarged scale through the burner plate and associated parts as taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, certain portions thereof being shown as broken away better to disclose other portions therebeneath.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the top of the casing and illustrates more particularly a novel two-part lid associated with said top of the casing.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the preferred form of flame spreader embodied in the burner.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the burner includes an inner burner casing I0 and an outer heater drum Il concentric therewith. Said casing and drum are closed at the upper end by a top I2. Axially in the top is a lid supporting ring I3. Associated with this ring is a pair of lid plates Inl- IAX each hinged along one side margin thereto. The other side margins of the lid plates are formed with overlapping portions I4a and in each portion, coaxially of the ring is a recess. When the lid plates are closed, said recesses coact in forming an opening I5, the purpose of which will soon appear.

The heater drum II is bottomed by a Wall I6. The burner casing lil extends a suitable distance below said wall It and is bottomed by a plate I1. In the front of said casing I@ is a hole I8 that opens into the interior of the heater drum I I. In the front of said drum is a pair of radial baie plates I 9 that stop short of the burner casing I0. In the rear of said drum is a pair of radial baffle plates 2G, the inner edges of which substantially abut against the burner casing. In each plate 20 is an opening 2I. These baiile plates are preferably arranged about apart. At the rear of the heater drum and secured in the top I2 is a pipe or stack-receiving collar 22 which includes a down draft preventing extension arranged in the heater drum. That part of the burner casing I0 below the heater drum, has suitable legs (not shown) secured thereto for support of the burner as a whole. It is apparent that the products of combustion in the burner casing lll pass out through the hole i8 and into the heater drum. These products of combustion then pass around to the rear of said drum and then out the pipe or stack attached to the collar 22. In this passage of the products of combustion through the heater drum, the bailles cause the same to stay in the drum for a longer period of time for a better heating action.

Associated with the bottom wall ll of the burner casing is an annular burner plate 23 that includes a dat outer marginal flange 2li and an upwardly and inwardly extending, inner marginal flange 25. The flange 2d as shown herein is slightly offset downwardly to make a seat upon which the inner annular portion of the bottom wall il of the burner casing is engaged and secured as by the bolts 2li (see Fig. 3).

Spaced radially inward from the flange 25 is an upwardly opening annular oil trough 2l, which is preferably connected thereto by radial webs 12S in a manner forming an annular air inlet space 25 between said flange and trough. Preferably the burner plate, the oil trough and the webs mentioned are made as an integral structure. The oil trough is of a channel shape cross section. It includes a bottom wall 3Q and inner and outer upright side walls .tl- 32, the top edges of which are shown as substantially flush with the top edge of the inner ange 25 as best appears in Fig. 2. It is preferable, however, that the top edge of the outer wall, be a trie lower than the like edge of the inner wall as shown.

At one point, the oil trough is formed with a depending boss 33 having a vertical bore therein that opens at one end into the interior of said trough. rlhe bottom end of said boss, has a nipple 3f!- threaded thereinto and this nipple is closed by a removable plug 35. Threaded into one side of the boss is a pipe 35 leading from a suitable source of supply whereby liquid fuel is fed to the trough. The inner wall of the oil trough defines a second air inlet opening' for the burner as will be apparent.

l/Vithin the oil trough is a vaporizing ring 31 of a width slightly less than the distance between the walls of the trough to coact therewith in forming inner and outer annular vapor passages 38-39. On the top side of said ring is a plurality of radially disposed lugs lill. These lugs are of a radial length greater than the width of the ring itself so that the ends of said lugs engage upon the top edges of the upright inner and outer walls Slw of the oil trough. Thus said lugs support the ring at the desired level in the trough. This level which is somewhat below that of the top edges of said trough walls is above the level of the oil in the trough so that the top surface of said ring is usually dry. With the lugs engaged upon both said edges of the trough walls, they slide upon said edges when the ring is turned and scrape both said edges free of such carbon as may have accumulated thereon.

spending from the bottom of said vaporizing ring is a flange il the bottom of which is spaced slightly above the bottom of the trough. This flange has notches it in its bottom edge so as to insure the same level of oil in the trough on both sides of said flange. When the ring is turned as will later appear, said flange operates to agitate such fuel as may be in the trough to prevent the formation of sediment in the bottom of said trough.

fit indicates the drip pan of the burner, Said drip pan includes a flat bottom wall 44 and an substantially upright side wall d5 that terminates in an outwardly extending ange fili, engaged against a portion of the bottom il of the casing. Screws il are lixed in said wall to extend through openings in said flange. The bottom ends of said screws receive nuts by which the drip pan is removably held tightly up against said bottom wall of the casing. The nipple 34 by reason of its screw-threaded engagement in the boss 33, assists in holding the pan in place. A portion of the flange i6 and the upright wall 15 is cut away to form a notch to straddle the oil inlet` pipe 36.

In the upright wall of the drip pan are air inlet openings iii and engaged against the inner surface of said upright wall is an air inlet control ring 55. This ring has openings 5S therein. By turning this ring in one direction or the other, the effective area of the air inlet openings i8 in said upright wall 45 may be controlled to admit that amount of air required for the best combustion according to atmospheric conditions. Depending from the periphery of the lange 46 is a ring 5l. The bottom edge of this ring is so disposed with respect to the bottom ends of the openings 58 as to prevent the entrance of un desired drafts into the openings li. This prevents ilickering of the flames when the burner is in operation. The ring 49 is provided with an arm 52 that projectsv outwardly beyond the edge: of the casing bottom for easy manipulation. Suitable slots are formed in the wall and ring 5l, to accommodate the movement of said arm.

In the bottom wall of the drip pan is a depression 53 in which is secured an elbow 54 that receives one end of a waste or overflow pipe 55. Secured to the central portion of the top surface of the bottom wall of the drip pan, is an inverted U shaped bracket 55. Secured to said bracket is an upstanding stud 55a including an annular shoulder 56h near its bottom end. This stud which has a rounded top end is arranged axially of the oil trough and its purpose will soon appear.

Axially of and above the oil trough and rotatively supported independently thereof is a flame spreader 5l best shown in perspective in Fig. 5. Said llame spreader includes` an axial, cylindrical body 58 with an upwardly aring head 59 at the top thereof. Axially in the body is a downwardly l opening recess 58a to receive the stud 56a. When the flame spreader is in its normal position the bottom end of its stem-like body 58 has a bearing engagement upon the top surface of the stud shoulder 56h. By means of the structure just f' described, the llame spreader is supported so that it may be readily rotated and removed when desired.

The head 59 of the flame spreader is imperiorate and flares upwardly and outwardly. On the underside of the head of the flame spreader is a plurality of radially extending, depending lugs 60, there being the same number of lugs on said spreader as there are lugs 40 .on the Vaporizing ring. In radial planes between those of the lugs Eil, are radial ribs 6I which project outwardly from the stem-like body 58 of the spreader. The lugs S0 do not engage upon the top edge of the oil trough. The ribs 6| have a radius slightly less than the radius of central opening of the oil trough. Therefore the body 58 of the flame spreader and the associated parts may be readily inserted in said opening so that the stud 56a readily enters the opening 58a. 'I'he inner upright wall of the oil ring in connection with the ribs 6| coaot to divide the air stream passing up through the center of the oil trough into a plurality of parts. Said ribs also serve to break up any swirling action of said air that may interfere with the even burning of the burner.

The head of the name spreader is hollow and in the top thereof is a pair of spaced ears 62 through which a pin 63 extends. The pin 63 is adapted to be engaged by the hooked bottom end 65 of an actuating rod 65 which projects upwardly through the opening i as provided by the recesses in the overlapping parts 4of the lid plates ifi-MX. The top end of said rod 65, above the lid plates, is bent angularly and is provided with a handle 66. The rod may remain in position in the burner as shown in Fig. 1 if desired, during burning operations.

When the hooked end of the rod is engaged with the pin S3 in the flame spreader, a turning movement of said rod will cause a turning movement cf the flame spreader about the stud 56a as an axis and with a thrust bearing on the stud shoulder 56h. In this turning movement of the flame spreader, the lug SG thereon will engage the lugs 48 on the oilring so that the turning movement is imparted to the oil ring, As the oil ring turns, the ends of its lugs 40 ride with a sliding action on the top edges of the oil trough walls Si-'BE and will scrape oit such carbon as may have accumulated upon both said edges. The carbon thus removed is carried away by the natural draft action of the burner. Also this turning movement of the oil ring cleans out the annular vapor passages 38-39.

Should it be desired to remove the ame spreader for an inspection of the oil trough, the oil ring and the associated parts of the burner plate, it is only necessary to lift up on the rod 65. When the head 5? of the flame spreader engages the underside of the lid plates Ill-MX, they will swingT into open position to permit the passage of the flame spreader through the opening in the ring i3 normally closed by said lid plates.

After the flame spreader has thus been removed, this gives complete access to the oil trough and vaporizing ring for inspection or other purposes. Should the bore in the boss 33 require cleaning or should it be desired to drain the oil trough, the plug 35 is removed. A wire may then be run through said bore and the plug then replaced.

When the burner is in operation, oil vapor passes upwardly through the annular inner and outer vapor passages 38-39 and air for supporting combustion of the vapor, passes up through the annular space 29 and up through the spaces as defined by the inner wall of the trough and the ribs 6| on the am-e spreader.

Primary air for combustion enters through the openings e8 in the upright side Wall of the drip pan. By turning the air control ring 49, the effective area of said openings may be adjusted to a nicety for the best burning operation.

While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the various parts thereof, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough rotatable with respect thereto and coacting with said walls in forming inner and i uter annular vapor passages, and means on said ring engaging the top edges of said walls for pendently supporting said ring in said trough and operable to scrape carbon from said top edges when relative rotation is caused between said ring and said trough.

In an oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer substantially upright walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough and rotatable with respect thereto, means on said ring engaging the top edges of said walls for supporting the ring therefrom so that the lateral edges of said ring coact with the upright walls of said trough in forming inner and outer vaporizing passages, said means on said ring also operating when said ring is turned with respect to the trough to scrape carbon from said top edges of said trough walls to clear said annular passages.

3. In oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough and rotat-able with respect thereto and coacting with the walls thereof in forming inner and outer annular vaporizing passages, means on said ring engaging the top edges of said walls and operable to scr-ape carbon from said edges of said walls when said ring is turned with respect to said trough, a iiame spreader spaced above and coaxial with said trough, means independent of said trough for supporting said flame spreader for a turning movement, and means carried by the flame spreader and disposed to engage said means on said ring for turning said ring when said iiame spreader is turned through a cert-ain number of degrees.

4. In an oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough arranged for a relatively turning movement with respect ther-etc and coacting with the walls thereof in forming inner and outer annular vaporizing passages, arcuately spaced upright lugs on said ring extending laterally of both walls of said ring to engage the top edges of said walls and operable to scrape carbon therefrom when said ring is turned with respect to the trough, a iiame spreader spaced above and coaxial with said trough, means independent of said trough for supporting the flame spreader for a turning movement, and means carried by the name spreader and disposed to engage the upright lugs on the vaporizing ring for turning said ring when said flame spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees.

5. In an oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough and rotatable with respect thereto and coacting with said walls in forming inner and outer annular vaporizing passages, means on said ring engaging the top edges of said walls and operable to scrape carbon from said edges of said walls when said ring is turned with respect to said trough, a flame spreader spaced above and coaxial with said trough, means independent of and below said trough and coacting with a part of the name spreader in providing a stud and recess bearing for the flame spreader about which the same may be turned, and means carried by the iame spreader and disposed to engage said means on said ring for turning said ring when the flame spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees,

6. In -an oil burner, an annular oil trough having inner and outer walls, a vaporizing ring in said trough and rotatable with respect thereto and coacting with said walls in forming inner and outer annular vaporizing passages, means on s-aid ring engaging the top edges of said walls and operable to scrape carbon from said edges of said walls when said ring is turned with respectl to said trough, a flame spreader spaced above and coaxial with said trough, a drip pan below the oil trough, means on said drip pan and coacting with a part of the flame spreader in providing a stud and recess bearing for said ame spreader about which the same may be turned, and means carried by the llame spreader and disposed to engage the means on the vaporizing ring for turning said ring when the iiame spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees.

'7. In an oil burner, an annular burner plate having an upwardly and inwardly tapered portion and an annular oil trough supported by but spaced inwardly from said portion to form inner and outer air passages, said trough including inner and outer substantially upright Walls, a vaporizing ring within said trough, arcuately spaced upright lugs on said ring and having laterally extending portions engaging the top edges of said walls of the trough to rotatively support Said ring in a manner providing inner and outer vaporizing passages, a flame spreader spaced above and axially of said trough, means below and independent of said trough and engaged by a bottom portion of the flame spreader to provide a bearing for said flame spreader about which the same may be turned, and means carried by said llame spreader and disposed to engage said lugs on the vaporizing ring so that said ring is turned when the ame spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees.

8. In an oil burner, an annular burner plate having an upwardly and inwardly tapered portion and an annular oil trough spaced inwardly from said portion but supported thereby to form inner and outer air passages, said trough including inner and outer substantially upright walls, a vaporizing ring within said trough, arcuately spaced upright lugs on said ring and having laterally extending portions engaging the top edges of the trough to rotatively Support said ring in a manner providing inner and outer vaporizing passages, a flame spreader spaced above and axially of said trough, a drip pan below said burner plate, means carried by the drip pan and coacting with a bottom part of the flame spreader in providing a bearing for said flame spreader, and means carried by the flame spreader and dis" posed to engage said lugs on the vaporizing ring so that said ring is turned when the flame spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees.

9. In an oil burner, an annular burner plate having an upwardly and inwardly tapered portion and an annular oil trough spaced inwardly from said portion but supported thereby to form inner and outer air passages, said trough including inner and outer substantially upright walls, a vaporizing ring within said trough, arcuately spaced upright lugs on said ring and having laterally extending portions engaging the top edges of the trough walls to rotatively support said ring in a manner providing inner and outer vaporizing passages, a flame spreader spaced above and axially of said trough, a drip pan below said burner plate, an upright stud supported by the pan axially of the oil trough and adapted to enter an axial recess in the bottom end of the flame spreader to provide a bearing for said flame spreader, and means carried by the flame spreader and disposed to engage said lugs on the vaporizing ring so that said ring is turned when the name spreader is turned through a certain number of degrees.

10. Inan oil burner, means providing a casing having a bottom wall, means associated with said wall to provide a burner structure therein, means providing a drip pan beneath said bottom wall and enclosing the burner structure from below, said drip pan including a bottom wall and an upstanding annular wall having air inlet openings therein, means for controlling the eiTective area for said inlet openings and thereby control the amount of air supplied to the burner structure to support combustion, and annular means arranged outwardly of said annular wall and depending from said bottom wall of the casing to an extent wherein it prevents the entrance of undesired drafts through the said air inlet openings.

ADOLPH R. HOEFT. 

